Furniture



Jan. 31, 1939. A.G. IFALK v 2,145,238-

FURNITURE F iled Oct. 16, 1955 INVENTOR.

dafiaz' Gross Jab? I 1 BY 7 /7 7 Z9 3 ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNiTED STATES PATENT or ies 3 Claims.

This invention relates to articles of furniture and more particularly to furniture such as chests of drawers, end tables night stands or tables, and the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an article with illuminating means so arranged that a beam of light may be directed from the article of furniture to the left or to the right, or to both the left and right as desired, or upwardly for indirect room illumination, all so arranged as not to interfere with the use of the article as a table top or the like.

The top of the article of furniture is flat to permit its use as a table, with a portion of the flat top comprising a piece of plate glass. An electric li ht and a reflector are mounted below the glass top and arranged to direct a beam of light upwardly through the glass top. The glass portion of the top surface is flush with the rest of the top so that the normal use of the table top is not interfered with.

I have found that the heat developed by the electric light below the top is quite great, and may interfere with the usage of the table top. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a construction whereby the major part of the heat may be conducted away from the top, say to the rear of the article. This result is accomplished in two ways. First I provide an air discharge passageway, for conducting the air that is heated the electric bulb, to a discharge opening at the rear of the article of furniture. Secondly, I prevent the heated air from coming in contact with the lower side of the glass top. I accomplish this second result by providing a second piece of glass between the top and the light bulb, so arranged as to form an air chamber below the top and out of direct contact with the hot electric light bulb. This chamber, preferably, opens to the outside of the article of furniture to permit the circulation of air therein and thus prevent heating of the same.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a removable mounting for the top reflector and its electric light bulb, so arranged that the two may be easily removed for cleaning or bulb replacement purposes without interference with the top of the table, thus avoiding the necessity for disturbing articles that may have been placed thereon. This result is accomplished by providing for the removal of the reflector realm wardly of the cabinet. While this is a desirable feature of the present invention, it is not an indispensable one, as in some constructions the article of furniture may be made with a sliding or swing- 5 ing top.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a holder for receiving a clock, the holder being arranged with means for illumihating the clock and with means for controlling the clock alarm and for controlling the clock itself all arranged so as to permit control of the 5 clock and alarm without removing the clock from its holder, even though the holder may be against a. Wall. The clock holder may constitute an integral part of the article of furniture previously described, or may be a separate piece resting thereon.

The attainment of the above, and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof:

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of a chest of drawers constructed in accordance with the present in vention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the linedl of Figure 2.

Referring now to Figures 1-, 2, 3 and 4, at i I have shown a night stand comprising side walls 2 and 3, a top 4, and a rear plywood panel 5. The space indicated at 6 and l may be occupied by a radio receiving set or, as shown, by a pair of drawers. Between the upper drawer i3 and the top i there is provided a space approximately as high as that of one of the drawers, within which space there is mounted three light units, namely, a general room illuminating unit 8, a right hand side unit 9, and a left hand side unit it. An electric switch H is provided for controlling the general room illuminating unit 3, and switches 12 and 13 are provided for controlling the units 9 and Hi respectively. The switches are preferably snap switches, although any other type of switch may be used. The knob of the electric switch II is preferably of substantially the same 5 design and appearance as knobs i3 and ii for the drawers 6 and 1 respectively.

The general room illuminating unit 8 comprises a reflector bowl 20 which supports, and within which is mounted, an electric light bulb 50 2|. The reflector 20 terminates at one side in a passageway 22 for permitting the natural escape of air from the interior of the reflector, due to the heating of the same by contact with the electric bulb. A natural circulation of air is provided for by providing one or more holes 23 at the bottom of the reflector bowl so that air may enter therein through those holes and flow out through the passageway 22, due to the chimney effect produced by heating of the air. The rear wall 5 of the cabinet is removable, and consists of a piece of plywood having a rectangular opening 25 for the egress of the heated air. A piece of clear glass 26 is placed at the top of the reflector, above the bulb 2|, thereby forming a chamber 21 between the top of the cabinet and the bulb, which chamber is not subjected to the direct heat of the bulb. An opening 28 is provided in the rear panel for permitting the escape of air from the chamber or air pocket 21. A clear piece of glass 29 is mounted on top of the table and constitutes a portion of the table top, it being noted that the top of the glass 29 is flush with the rest of the table top. A spring metal ring 3|] surrounds the glass plate 29 and holds the same in place. The ring 3=|3 is split in the usual manner and must be compressed to fit the same between the glass and the wooden table top so that by its natural tendency to eX- pand it holds the glass 29 firmly in place. The air pocket 2'! between the glass top 29 and the piece of glass 26 serves as heat insulation to prevent direct contact with the plate 29 of the air that is heated by direct contact with the bulb 2|. Any heating of the air in the chamber or pocket 21 is indirect, through the plate 26, which is necessarily very much cooler than the glass bulb 2|. Such slightly heated air in .the chamber 21 is free to escape therefrom through the holes 28.

The general room illuminating unit 8, comprising the reflector 29, its bulb 2|, and the plate 26, is removable from the cabinet as a complete unit. To this effect the reflector is mounted slidably in trackways 35-45 so as to permit sliding of the unit forwardly and rearwardly of the cabinet. When the panel 5 is removed, the lighting unit may be slidingly moved in the trackway and thus removed at the rear of the cabinet.

Each of the lighting units 9 and It comprises a reflector 49 and an electric light bulb 4|. A cover glass 42 is, optionally, provided for the units 9 and I0.

When the article of furniture thus far described is placed between two chairs, or between a pair of twin beds, either one of the side light units may be illuminated independently of the other, and independently of the general room illuminating unit 8, to provide independent illumination to each side of the unit. The bulbs 4|, are, preferably, of comparatively low candle power, say 40 or 60 watt bulbs. The bulb 2| is a very high candle power bulb, say 100 to 300 watts, since this is provided for general room illumination. It is to be noted that the axis of the reflector 29 is vertical, to throw its beam of light toward the ceiling, whereas the reflectors 40 are arranged to direct their beam of light in a slightly spreading manner, in a generally horizontal direction. It is also to be noted that the light from the unit 9 is not visible from the left hand side of the cabinet, nor is the light from the unit I visible from the right hand side of the cabinet, and that neither of these two units gives any appreciable illumination upwardly. It is, of course, to be understood that the cabinet is made of some non-transparent material, such as wood.

At the top of the cabinet is placeda clock holder or housing This housing may be an integral part of the cabinet or stand, or it may merely rest as a separate unit on the top of the same. The clock housing is provided with a glass front 5|, towards which the face of a standard clock may be brought, the clock being inserted in the clock housing from the rear of the same. An alarm set knob 55, an alarm on-and-ofi knob 56, and a pilot switch control knob 51 are mounted at the front of the housing and connect through mechanism at the rear of the housing for effecting desired operations. A hinged cover 58 is provided for gaining access to the interior of the housing'from the top thereof. A standard clock is inserted into the housing from the rear thereof, with its face opposite the glass 5|. If the clock is one where the starting is effected by a spinning motion the knob 63 may be arranged to effect that result. Means is also provided for setting the hands of theclock. In the usual clock, the setting is controlled by a rotatable shaft that projects beyond the rear of the clock housing. The knob 1| is arranged to operate that shaft.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction here shown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of construction of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cabinet including means for general room illumination comprising a room illuminating electric light bulb and a reflector for directing the light of the bulb vertically upward and out of the cabinet, a room illuminating electric light unit in the cabinet at the left hand side thereof and including a reflector reflecting the light of the unit outwardly of the cabinet to the left thereof for providing room illumination to the left of the cabinet, a second electric light unit in the cabinet at the right hand side thereof and including a reflector reflecting the light from that unit outwardly of the cabinet to the right thereof for providing room illumination to the right of the cabinet, none of the light from either unit being visible through the cabinet from the opposite side thereof, switching means at each side of the cabinet for controlling the corresponding side room illuminating lights, and 0 switching means at the front of the cabinet for controlling the general room illuminating electric light bulb, the top of the cabinet being flat to provide a table top and including a glass portion through which the light from the first mentioned bulb passes, and means for preventing the air that is heated by the bulb from rising into contact with the glass portion of the top thereby inhibiting heating of the glass top by the heat developed by the bulb and permitting use of the glass portion as a table portion.

2. A cabinet including means for general room illumination comprising a room illuminating electric light bulb and a reflector for directing the light of the bulb vertically upward and out of the cabinet, a room illuminating electric light unit in the cabinet at the left hand side thereof and including a reflector reflecting the light of the unit outwardly of the cabinet to the left thereof for providing room illumination to the left of the cabinet, a second electric light unit in the cabinet at the right hand side thereof and including a reflector reflecting the light from that unit outwardly of the cabinet to the right thereof for providing room illumination to the right of the cabinet, none of the light from either unit being visible through the cabinet from the opposite side thereof, switching means at each side of the cabinet for controlling the corresponding side room illuminating lights, and switching means at the front of the cabinet for controlling the general room illuminating electric light bulb, the top of the cabinet being flat to provide a table top and including a glass portion through which the light from the first mentioned bulb passes, and means for inhibiting heating of the glass top by the heat developed by the bulb, thereby permitting use of the glass portion as a table portion, said last named means comprising a glass interposed between the glass top and the first mentioned electric light bulb and spaced from both the glass top and said electric light bulb to form two vertically displaced air chambers inhibiting travel of air from the lower to the upper chamber, said lower chamber having an outlet for the escape of air therefrom, whereby air circulates through the lower chamber by the natural heating produced by the first mentioned electric light bulb.

3. A combined cabinet and room lighting unit comprising a cabinet having a drawer and a fiat table top, at least a portion of the flat table part thereof being of glass, and means for general room illumination comprising an electric light bulb and a reflector in the cabinet beneath the glass top and directing the light vertically upward and out of the cabinet through the glass top, the reflector being substantially circular and of a diameter which is a major fractional part of the width of the table top portion of the cabinet, and means for inhibiting heating of the glass top by heat developed by the bulb comprising a transparent partition dividing the space between the bulb and the table top into two chambers spaced vertically of one another and each separately opening to the atmosphere to permit a separate circulation of cooling air through the chambers, the electric light bulb being supported by the reflector, and the reflector resting inthe cabinet and being slidable forwardly and rearwardly therein, and being removable through the rear of the cabinet by a sliding movement.

ARTHUR GROSS FALK. 

